Luxury electric automaker Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) saw a ray of sunshine on Thursday after its earnings report gave investors reason to believe the company has a bright future.

Tesla shares have seen a significant decline over the past year, as uncertainty about the firm's forward momentum weighed on sentiment, but based on the company's fourth-quarter results, the automaker may be in a better position than initially perceived.

A Bright Future

On the company's earnings call, CEO Elon Musk was able to reassure investors with positive sales figures. Deliveries in the fourth quarter rose 75 percent from one year ago, and the Model S trumped competitors like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, whose sales fell 13 percent during the same quarter. In the coming year, Musk said he expects deliveries to rise to between 80,000 and 90,000 for the Model S.

Not All Roses

While there were some bright spots in Tesla's earnings report, the results weren't all positive. The firm lost $0.87 per share, worse than analysts' expectations of $0.12 EPS. This year, the company forecasts to continue losing money for the first three quarters before turning a profit at the end of 2016.

Model 3

Investors are looking forward to the company's Model 3 vehicle, set to debut at the end of March. The lower-cost vehicle will become available for pre-order at the end of the month, and should go into production beginning in 2017.

Many expect the Model 3 to put Tesla in a stronger position in the electric-car market, as it is a much more affordable Tesla vehicle with a price point of just $35,000. If the car is a hit among the public, the company could increase its annual vehicle deliveries to 500,000 by 2020.